Morphological Evolution, Aptations, Homoplasies, Constraints & Evolutionary Trends
Catfishes as a Case Study on General Phylogeny & Macroevolution
Rui Diogo: Laboratory of Functional and Evolutionary Morphology, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
ISBN 978-1-57808-291-9; 2004; 502 pages; US $ 136.60      Buy Now

The major aim of this work is, to help clarify the interrelationships of catfishes, with major implications on the study of the general evolution of these fishes. A great part of this work, therefore, deals with a cladistic analysis of catfish higher-level phylogeny based on extensive morphological data, in which are included some terminal taxa not included in previous analyses, but principally a large number of characters traditionally excluded from those analyses, with particular attention being given to catfish morphology. This analysis gives particular importance to complex, integrated structures. It will be interest to students, ichthyologists and biologists working in evolution, taxonomy and phylogeny.

Contents:

. Catfishes : Introduction
Phylogenetic Position within Teleostei; Catfish Families; Historical Overview of Higher Level
Phylogeny of Catfishes; Catfish, an Exceptional Biological Group
. Methodology & Material
Phylogenetic Methodology; Delimitation of Terminal Taxa; Material, Techniques and Nomenclature
. Phylogenetic Analysis
Character Description and Comparison; Cladistic Analysis, Diagnosis for Clades, and Comparison
with Previous Hypotheses; Character State Changes for Individual Genera; Results of Phylogenetic
Analysis: Major Outlines
. Higher-level Phylogeny and Macroevolution of Catfishes: A Discussion
Structures Associated with Movements of the Mandibular Barbels; Pectoral Girdle Complex;
Adductor Mandibulae Complex; Palatine-maxillary System; Suspensorium and Associated
Structures; Elastic Spring Apparatus; A Discussion on the Origin and Biogeographic
Distribution of Catfishes
. Catfishes, Case Study for General Discussions of Phylogenetic and Macroevolutionary Topics
Primary Homologies, Secondary Homologies, and a Priori Versus a Posteriori Explanations in
Evolutionary Biology; Homoplasies, Consistency Index, and Complexity of Macroevolution;
Functional Uncouplings and Morphological Macroevolution; Myological Versus Osteological
Characters in Phylogenetic Reconstructions; Analysis of Distinct Anatomical Regions in
Phylogenetic Reconstructions; Aptations, Exaptations and Adaptations in Macroevolutionary
Studies; Parallelisms, Convergences and Constraints in Macroevolution; Cordelia’s Dilemma,
Historical Bias, and General Evolutionary Trends; Punctuated Equilibrium, Speciation, Living
Fossils and Macroevolution